WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
4 June 2009 
 (09-2665) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Aid for Trade Original:   English 
 
 
 
JOINT WTO/OECD BACKGROUND PAPER ON AID FOR TRADE 
 
COMESA-EAC-SADC 
 
HIGH LEVEL NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR AID-FOR-TRADE MEETING 
6 AND 7 APRIL 2009 
 
  The attached background paper on Aid for Trad e is being circulated to delegations for 
information.  It was jointly prepared by the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for 
Economic Co-operation and Deve lopment for the COMESA-EAC-SADC High-Level North-South 
Corridor Aid-for-Trade Meeting that took pl ace in Lusaka, Zambia on 6 and 7 July 2009. 
  
_______________ 
   
   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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JOINT WTO/OECD BACKGROUND PAPER ON AID FOR TRADE 
 
COMESA-EAC-SADC 
 
HIGH LEVEL NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR AID-FOR-TRADE MEETING 
6 AND 7 APRIL 2009 
 I. OVERVIEW 
1. Aid-for-Trade aims to help developing count ries, particularly Least-Developed Countries 
(LDCs), to build the supply-side capacity and trade-rela ted infrastructure that they need to assist them 
to implement and benefit from WTO Agreements and more broadly to expand their trade.   
2. This background paper provides information on the Aid-for-Trade (AfT) initiative, the 
Roadmap (work plan) for 2009, the monitoring frame work used to track Aid for Trade, figures on 
global flows of Aid for Trade and Aid-for-Trade flows to the North-South Corridor countries.  It gives 
an overview of key messages emerging from the re sponses of North-South Corridor countries to the 
joint WTO/OECD partner-country self-assessment ques tionnaire. The paper also gives an overview of 
assistance provided by the WTO Secretariat in the area of trade policy and regulation to the North-South Corridor countries. 
II. BACKGROUND 
3. A new work programme on Aid for Trade w as agreed at the Hong Kong Ministerial 
Conference in December 2005 and operationalized by  a Task Force which reported in July 2006.
1  In 
2007, the WTO cooperated with the World Bank and regional development banks to hold three 
regional Aid-for-Trade reviews.  These reviews took place in Lima, Peru on 13 and 14 September 2007 for the Latin America and Caribb ean region, in Manila, the Philippines on 19 and 
20 September 2007, for the Asia/Pacific regi on, and in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on 1 and 
2 October 2007 for the Africa region.  The First Gl obal Review and Debate of  Aid for Trade, hosted 
by the WTO was held on 19 to21 November 2007. 
4. Themes emerging from the First Global Aid-for-T rade Review were the need to encourage 
greater developing-country ownership of the initiative , to strengthen monitoring and evaluation and to 
shift the focus on the initiative from awareness-raising to implementation.   
5. Working with partner agencies, a number of national and sub-regional Aid-for-Trade reviews 
are being held in 2009 with these themes in mind.  In  the Africa region, a sub-regional review of Aid 
                                                     
 
1 WT/AFT/1. WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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  for Trade is being held as part of the North-S outh Corridor Conference on 6 and 7 April in Lusaka, 
Zambia.  Discussions are on-going on further regional  events in Central and West Africa in 2009.
2  
6. On 6 and 7 July 2009, the Second Global Review of Aid for Trade will be held at the WTO 
Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  The Revi ew will evaluate progress made since the First 
Review in 2007 and scrutinize how Aid for Trade is  being operationalized on the ground.  Progress in 
securing additional financing will be discussed an d views exchanged on how aid flows can be 
maintained against the backdrop of a worsening globa l economic outlook.  The impact of the financial 
crisis on the real economy, together with declining commodity prices, drying up of trade finance and 
the inability to conclude the Doha Development Agen da, risk jeopardizing the contribution of trade to 
economic growth and poverty reduc tion in developing countries.  A shortfall in financial flows to 
developing countries is a real possibility and developed country demand for the commodities on 
which much of their recent growth was based is declining.  Combined with a dependency on tariff 
revenues, these developments will re nder budgets vulnerable to potential reductions in trade flows.  In 
this less hospitable environment, aid fo r trade is even more critical to:  
• unlock the growth potential of low income count ries hindered by insufficient supply capacity or 
specific constraints; 
• reduce trading costs within regions and with globa l markets to stimulate the supply-side response 
of low-income countries.  
Central to this process is the examination of the conclusions emanating from the framework which has 
been put in place to monitor Aid for Trade – a ke y objective of the Aid for Trade Roadmap for 2009. 
AFRICAN REGIONAL REVIEW OF AID FOR TRADE (OCTOBER 2007):  
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA3 
Regional integration is a key policy objective in East and Southern Africa assisted by strong and expanding 
cooperation among the three key regional economic commissions (RECs) – COMESA, SADC and the EAC. 
The RECs have comprehensive programmes in place to ad dress key trade capacity cha llenges in the region, i.e., 
trade policy capacity building, trade facilitation, connectiv ity infrastructure, and adjustment assistance.  The 
main challenge is to mobilize adequate re sources to implement these programmes.  
Another key point is the importance of comprehensive approaches to trade capacity building. An impressive 
model for other regional capacity building projects is the North-South Corridor Initiative, which has been 
approved by the COMESA-SADC-EAC Task Force and is now entering a pilot project phase.  The programme 
brings together all the ongoing initia tives taking place along th e North-South corridor, Af rica's busiest in terms 
of freight volumes, under one umbrella, to ensure that reforms to customs, border management, infrastructure, 
and transport regulation are mutually reinforcing and properly sequenced.  The aim is to maximize synergies 
and to ensure that improvements in one area are not nullified by bottlenecks in another. 
Above all there is a need to mainst ream trade in national – as well as regional – strategies, and to better 
synchronize national and regional programmes.  The private sector, in particular, has to be a key partner in 
priority setting and programme design because ultimately it was exporters, not governments, who pay the price 
for customs delays, unreliable supply chains, or inadequate infrastructure.  The relatively small size of domestic 
markets means that export growth, regionally as well as globally, is essential to East and Southern Africa's 
development.  The fact that so many countries in the region are landlocked also means that efforts to reduce the 
cost of cross-border trade – through trade facilitation and transport infrastruct ure, as well as regional integration 
– are essential.  These are the prior ity areas where Aid for Trade could deliv er the biggest return on investment 
and provide a needed catalyst for attracting private financing. 
                                                      
2 A full list of planned national and sub-regional reviews is given in the 2009 Aid- for-Trade Roadmap 
(WT/COMTD/AFT/W/11/Rev.1). 
3 The full report and recommendations of the African Regional review of Aid-for-Trade are available 
at: http://www.wto.org/english/trato p_e/devel_e/a4t_e/africa_e.pdf    WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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  III. MONITORING AND EVALUATION 
7. A big challenge the development community faces in  relation to aid for trade is to improve its 
effectiveness.  As highlighted by OECD studies,  little robust research has been undertaken about the 
impact and effectiveness of Aid-for-Trade progra mmes.  In part this is due to the absence of 
monitoring and evaluation frameworks.  To enhance th e credibility of Aid for Trade and to ensure that 
locally identified needs – whether financial or  performance related – are properly addressed, the 
Aid-for-Trade Task Force recommended to  establish two accountability mechanisms:  
• at the local level, to foster genuine local owne rship and ensure that trade needs are adequately 
addressed and integrated into natio nal development strategies; and  
• at the global level, to increase transparency a bout what is happening, what is not and where 
improvements are required. 
8. Against this background, the OECD and the WT O have set up an aid for trade monitoring 
framework.  The objective of the monitoring framework  is to promote dialogue and encourage all key 
actors to honour commitments, meet local needs,  improve effectiveness, and reinforce mutual 
accountability.  The value of the new monitoring syst em lies in creating incentives, through enhanced 
transparency, scrutiny and dialogue ( i.e. putting a ‘spotlight’ on progress), to foster synergies between 
trade and other economic policy areas in developing  countries.  This, in turn, should improve the 
coherence of aid for trade with overall aid strate gies and donor agencies – essential components of an 
effective aid-for-trade partnership between donor s and partner countries as embodied in the Paris 
Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. In short, the fo cus on local accountability will provide incentives to 
strengthen local ownership and manage ment for results.  The global periodic review of aid for trade, 
on the other hand, will ensure that donor and part ner countries' efforts are focused on the needs 
identified through local accountability mechanism. 
Figure 1:  Monitoring and Evaluation Framework 
 
Donor self-
assessments
Global AfT flows
Performance indicators
Qualitative  Qualitative  
analysisanalysis
Quantitative Quantitative 
analysesanalyses
Global Aid for 
Trade Review
Partner self-
assessmentMonitoring and Evaluation FrameworkMonitoring and Evaluation Framework
 WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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  9. As illustrated in Figure 1, above, the Monitori ng and Evaluation framework for Aid for Trade 
operates at four levels:  
• global analysis of Aid-for-Trade flows (usi ng data extracted from the OECD Creditor 
Reporting Database or CRS) to assess where r esources are being delivered, to identify where 
gaps lie, to highlight where improvements shoul d be made, and to increase transparency on 
pledges and disbursements;  
• evaluations of national, regional and multilate ral donors' Aid-for-Trade activities (based on 
donor self-assessments), to ensure the dissemination of best practices across countries, to identify areas for improvement, and to increase  transparency on pledges, commitments and 
disbursements;  
• country-based monitoring and evaluation (based on partner-country (recipient) 
self-assessments) to provide a more focused, c ountry-specific perspective on whether trade is 
being mainstreamed into national development policy, trade needs are being met, financial 
resources are being provided, and Aid for Trade is effective on the ground;  and 
• the use of indicators to track the use and effec tiveness of Aid for Trade, in particular against 
priority areas identified by recipients in their self-assessment questionnaires.  
10. At the First Global Review in November 2007,  the OECD and WTO published a joint report 
entitled "Aid-for-Trade At-a-Glance 2007:  1
st Global Review" which surveyed trends and 
developments in aid flows in the period 2002-2005.   The report provided a benchmark against which 
future assistance could be measured in categories most closely related to Aid for Trade.  In 
preparation for the Second Global Review, the OE CD and WTO will publish a 2009 report on Aid for 
Trade.   
Table 1:  Aid-for-Trade Commitments (in constant 2006 US$ millions) 
 
 2002-2005 
baseline 2006 2007 Increase vis-à-
vis baseline 
Trade related 
infrastructure 11,307 12,523 13,666 20.9% 
Building productive 
capacity 9,135 9,957 11,053 21% 
Trade policy and 
regulations 659 1,046 685 3.8% 
Trade-related 
adjustment - - 17.7 - 
Aid for Trade total 21,101 23,526 25,422 20.5% 
Source:  OECD Creditor Reporting System 
11. Table 1, above,  lists data reported to th e OECD CRS on Global Aid-for-Trade commitments 
between 2002-2007.  The statistics show that Aid fo r Trade grew in real terms by approximately 
20 per cent in 2007 compared to the 2002 – 2005 baselin e.  Furthermore, from Figure 2, below, it is 
clear that an increasing volume of aid resources is directed to infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
 Page 7 
 
 
  12. Due to the time needed for in-depth reporti ng on aid flows, the OECD CRS database does  
not capture any impact that the current financial cris is may have had on Aid-for-Trade flows in 2009.  
The impact of the current worsening global economic outlook will be a central issue for discussion at 
the Second Global Review of Aid-for-Trade on 6 and 7 July 2009.   
13. In December 2008, the WTO and OECD circul ated self-assessment questionnaires to donors 
and partner countries.  Significant changes were ma de to the questionnaire to make it more user-
friendly.  By 6 March 2009 deadline, a total of 83  replies had been received from partner countries 
(with 29 received from Africa, including from 26 LDCs) and 50 replies from donors (both bilateral 
and multilateral).  In addition, three countries had completed a questionnaire on South-South 
co-operation.   
14. A Symposium on Monitoring and Evaluation of Aid-for-Trade was held on 15 and 
16 September 2008 to help identify and assess suitable Aid-for-Trade indicators.  Work is on-going 
on the design of Aid-for-Trade indicators.  R esponses to the AfT partner-country self-assessment 
questionnaires will be used to help focus indicators on partner countries' priorities for Aid for Trade.  
Work on indicators will be presented as part of the joint OECD/WTO Aid-for-Trade At-a-Glance 
publication.  
Figure 2:  Global distribution of Aid-for-Trade 2002-2007 
Commitments, US$ billion (2006 constant) 
 
Source:  OECD Creditor Reporting System WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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IV. AID FOR TRADE AND THE NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR 
A. A
ID-FOR-TRADE ASSISTANCE (2002-2007) 
15. Tables 2 and 3, below, present data on Aid-for-Trade flows to the North-South Corridor 
countries, as reported to the OECD CRS database.  Table 2 provides data on aggregate flows of Aid 
for Trade.  Total Aid for Trade provided to the No rth-South Corridor countries grew from an average 
of US$903.6 million between 2002-2005 to US$1, 019.5 million in 2007 – an increase of US$115.9 million, or 12.8%.  There was considerable variation in the value of Aid for Trade received 
by countries.  Aid-for-Trade commitments in 2007 totalling US$8.6 million to Botswana were 
reported, compared with US$365.9 million for Mozambique.  Aid for Trade as a percentage of total 
aid received also varied considerably with 3.5 per cent being dedicated to Aid for Trade in Botswana 
and 27 per cent in Mozambique.  These shares are co mmensurate with global shares for the different 
income groups. 
Table 2: Aid- for-Trade Flows to North-South Corridor Countries 
 
 Commitments in US$ 
millions Disbursements 
in US$ millions Aid for Trade as 
percentage of total 
sector allocable aid 
 2002-2005 2007 2007 2007 
Botswana 14.2 8.5 12.5 3.5 
DRC 108.4 140.1 51.6 14.1 
Malawi 90.7 76.5 63.6 18.2 
Mozambique 284.2 365.3 187.4 26.9 
South Africa 115.3 102.9 48.5 10.7 
Tanzania 324.2 398.1 179.4 25.5 
Zambia 178.8 160.8 70.4 24.9 
Zimbabwe 9.3 29.1 15.9 14.34 
Source:  OECD Creditor Reporting System 
16. Table 3 highlights that more aid resources are being committed to investment in economic 
infrastructure.  Assistance rose from an average of US$390.5 million in 2002-3005, to 
US$650 million in 2007 – an increase of 66 per cent.   However, the figures for assistance on 
economic infrastructure show the same variation as overall figures for Aid for Trade, ranging from 
US$ 0.4 million in Botswana in 2007, to US$252.5 million in Mozambique.  Again, these shares of 
economic infrastructure in total aid for trade are commensurate with global shares for the different 
income groups. Indicating that the poorer developing countries have greater infrastructure needs.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
 Page 9 
 
 
  Table 3:  Aid for Economic Infrastructure along the North-South Corridor 
 
 Commitments in US$ 
millions Disbursements 
in US$ millions Economic 
Infrastructure 
commitments as 
percentage of total Aid 
for Trade 
 2002-2005 2007 2007 2007 
Botswana 5.4 0.4 0.37 4.7 
DRC 53.9 117.2 29.1 83.7 
Malawi 32.3 28.7 13.6 37.5 
Mozambique 169.6 252.5 110.5 69.1 
South Africa 14.7 3.6 4.7 3.5 
Tanzania 151.9 298.4 104.2 75 
Zambia 66.7 123.8 16.7 77 
Zimbabwe 0.9 0.5 0.7 1.7 
Source:  OECD Creditor Reporting System 
17. Table 4, below, shows that on average for 2006-2007, Mozambique and Tanzania were 
ranked as the 16th and 17th largest recipients of AfT globally (for 2007 alone, Tanzania ranked 14th and 
Mozambique 16th). WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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  Table 4:  Top 25 Recipients of  Aid for Trade (2006-2007 average) 
 
COMMITMENTS, US$ MILLION (2006 CONSTANT) 
 
 Income 
Group 2002-2005 
average 2006-2007 
average Share of 
Total AfT Share of AfT in 
Total Sector 
Allocable ODA ODA/GNI 
(2007) 
India OLIC 1,352.3 1,743.2 7.1 35.9 0.11 
Iraq LMIC 1,979.2 1,586.4 6.5 37.8 .. 
Viet Nam OLC 1,371.9 1,414.0 5.8 56.0 3.58 
Afghanistan LDC 665.0 1,254.7 5.1 40.4 33.86 
Indonesia LMIC 986.9 793.5 3.2 34.4 0.19 
Ethiopia LDC 485.1 734.5 3.0 32.1 12.48 
Egypt LMIC 518.5 585.6 2.4 49.2 0.84 
Bangladesh LDC 642.1 557.8 2.3 29.7 2.06 
Kenya OLIC 300.0 514.5 2.1 31.3 4.31 
China LMIC 695.4 438.2 1.8 17.7 0.04 
Ghana OLIC 235.6 437.1 1.8 40.2 7.59 
Uganda LDC 221.2 373.1 1.5 34.4 15.72 
Mali LDC 159.5 366.5 1.5 45.6 15.43 
Pakistan OLIC 345.8 365.3 1.5 24.6 1.51 
Morocco LMIC 280.6 349.2 1.4 30.0 1.51 
Mozambique LDC 284.2 341.1 1.4 29.1 26.33 
Tanzania LDC 324.2 305.6 1.2 23.4 17.43 
Sri Lanka LMIC 410.9 283.4 1.2 46.9 1.84 
Serbia LMIC 372.4 242.0 1.0 27.8 2.04 
Turkey UMIC 404.7 214.5 0.9 22.8 0.12 
Zambia LDC 178.8 206.4 0.8 27.3 10.20 
Georgia LMIC 82.3 206.2 0.8 52.9 3.68 
Nepal LDC 144.1 200.8 0.8 38.1 5.83 
Cameroon OLIC 88.0 198.4 0.8 36.4 9.40 
El Salvador LMIC 27.0 196.8 0.8 54.9 0.45 
TOTAL   13712.0 56.0   
Source:  OECD Creditor Reporting System 
B. MONITORING AID FOR TRADE FOR NORTH -SOUTH CORRIDOR COUNTRIES  
18. Four of the North-South Corridor countries replied to the joint WTO/OECD partner-country 
self-assessment questionnaire (Botswana, Malawi, Tan zania, Zambia).  All four respondents indicated 
that trade is a key priority in their respective na tional development plans.  Malawi and Zambia also 
stated that the national development plan incl udes well-developed trade-related priorities and 
implementation actions.  These responses would suggest that progress is being made in mainstreaming trade into national development pl ans – a key recommendation of the Aid-for-Trade 
Task Force. 
19. The WTO/OECD self-assessment questionnaire requested partner countries to identify 
priority areas of intervention to improve capacity to  benefit from trade expans ion and integration into 
the world economy.  Partner countries were asked to identify three priority areas among 12 different options under the broad headings for trade policy and regulation, economic infrastructure, building 
productive capacity and other priorities.  Table 5, be low,  outlines the top three priority areas listed by 
the four respondents to the questionnaire.   WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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  Table 5:  Aid-for-Trade Priority Areas fo r Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia 
 
 Priority 1 Priori ty 2 Priority 3 
Botswana Export diversification Regional integration Trade facilitation 
Malawi Transport infrastructure Network infrastructure Export diversification 
Tanzania Trade Policy Analysis Competitiveness Network Infrastructure 
Zambia Network Infrastructure Cross-border Infrastructure Export Diversification 
Source:  WTO/OECD Self-Assessment Replies 
 
20. The WTO/OECD partner-country self-assessment questionnaire examines how trade capacity 
constraints are addressed at regional level through national trade strategies.  All four respondents 
noted that they participated in re gional integration processes.  In Za mbia's reply, special mention was 
made of implementation of the North-South Corridor Conference.  
21. Examples of Aid-for-Trade processes, progr ammes or projects which constituted good 
practice were given by Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia .  Malawi referred to the Integrated Framework 
project to help the Malawi Bureau  of Standards as an example of good practice.  Malawi also stated 
that trade facilitation, transport infrastructure proj ects and trade policy analysis projects had all been 
effective in raising capacity in Malawi.  Ta nzania singled out the DANIDA-Business Sector 
Programme Support project as an example of good practice4.  Tanzania identified trade policy 
analysis projects and a business environment strengt hening programme as bei ng effective at raising 
capacity.5  
22. Zambia noted that an effective private sector  development reform programme (PSDRP) had 
been implemented as part of its Fifth National Development Plan. 6  Zambia also identified three areas 
in which support had been effective in raising trade capacity: 
• export diversification assistance provided by the European Union under European 
Development Fund (EDF) 7 and EDF 8 has enab led Zambia to develop capacity in the 
horticulture and floriculture sector7; 
• trade facilitation interventions by the US funded Threshold Project has contributed to 
significant reductions in the number of days required to start a business and to register a 
company (from 33 to 1 day)8; and 
• support provided under the Chirundu One Stop Bo rder Post Pilot Initiative by COMESA and 
supporting donors has led to upgrades in infrastructure should reduce exit and entry timeframes so reducing the cost of importing and exporting.
9 
23. Partner countries were also requested to identify priority areas in which the implementation of 
and effectiveness of Aid for Trade received could be  improved.  Table 6 below gives an overview of 
the responses.  From the table, it is clear that  a greater say in the design of Aid-for-Trade 
                                                      
4 For more information see: 
http://www.ambdaressalaam.um.dk/en/menu/AboutUs/Ne ws/SupportToBusinessSectorInTanzaniaApprovedBy
BoardOfDanida.htm  
5 For more information see:  http://www.best-ac.org/index.html .  
6 For more information see:  http://pcu.zambia.bz/pcu/?find=search . 
7 For more information see:  http://ec.europa.eu/europ eaid/where/acp/country-
cooperation/zambia/zambia_en.htm . 
8 For more information see:  http://www.usaid.gov/zm/fact_sheets/mca.pdf . 
9 For more information see:  http://www.rtfp.org/media/chir undu_one_stop_border_aug_07.pdf . WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
Page 12  
 
  interventions, stronger donor focus on local cap acity development and better predictability of 
Aid-for-Trade funding are the main priorities for the four respondent countries. 
Table 6:  Priority Areas to improve implemen tation and effectiveness of Aid for Trade received 
 
 Botswana Malawi Tanzania Zambia 
Greater say in design of AfT  X X X 
Stronger donor focus on local 
capacity development X X  X 
Better predictability of AfT 
funding  X X X 
More extensive use of 
Budget Support  X   
More regular joint-donor 
implementation actions   X  
More harmonized reporting 
requirements     
More frequent joint donor-
partner implementation efforts X    
More systematic use of joint 
donor-partner monitoring/ evaluation X    
Source:  WTO/OECD Self-Assessment Replies 
24. For countries which have replied to the pa rtner-country self-assessment questionnaire, 
indicators on Aid for Trade will be presented as  part of the joint OECD/WTO Aid-for-Trade 
At-a-Glance publication.  The indicators will be ta ilored to reflect each country's own priorities.  
25. Another instrument that can be used to eval uate Aid for Trade is the Trade Policy Review 
Mechanism.  One of the conclusions of the Aid- for-Trade Task Force in July 2006 was that an 
assessment of Aid for Trade should be included in the WTO Trade Policy Reviews.  In 2009, Trade 
Policy Reviews are planned for Zambia on 27 and 29 July and for the Southern African Customs 
Union (SACU) 22 and 24 September.10  In 2010, a Trade Policy review will also be held for Malawi.   
V. AID FOR TRADE PROVIDED BY WTO 
26. The WTO is not a financing agency, nor does it have any ambition to become one, but, in 
addition to its monitoring and advocacy role for Ai d for Trade, the WTO provides limited assistance 
in the area of trade policy and regulation through its  Institute for Training and Technical Co-operation 
(ITTC), Trade Facilitation Technical Assistance for Na tional Self Assessments of Needs and Priorities 
and the Standards and Trade Development Facility.   
                                                      
10 The Members of the Southern African Customs Union are:  Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, 
South Africa and Swaziland.  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
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  27. The Integrated Framework (IF) for Trade-Relate d Technical Assistance to LDCs is a process 
that supports LDC governments in trade capacity bu ilding and integrating trade issues into overall 
national development strategies.  It  is a concrete example of Aid fo r Trade in action in LDCs.  The 
WTO was one of six multilateral organizations whic h established the IF in 1997.  WTO continues to 
play an active role in the now Enhanced Integrated Framework.11   
A. ITTC  TRAINING FOR NORTH -SOUTH CORRIDOR COUNTRIES12 
28. The WTO Secretariat provided training across the breadth of the WTO's work programme, 
including aspects related to the on-going Doha Development Agenda negotiations.  Technical 
assistance is tailored to the specific demands of beneficiary countries.  Assessments are also 
undertaken to which subjects may contribute most to the strengthening of institutional and human 
capacity in trade-related matters in the recipien t countries.  Training delivered by the WTO thus 
differs from country to country. 
29. The North-South Corridor countries have all bene fited from WTO training activities.  Most of 
the requests since 2007 have concentrated on the Doha Development Agenda  negotiating subjects, 
especially in the areas of Agriculture, Non-Agricu ltural Market Access (NAMA), Services and Trade 
Facilitation.  Officials have also benefited form well-established training delivered through regular 
trade policy courses held either in Geneva or in the regions.  For the African region, two regional 
trade policy courses are organised each year - one for the benefit of English-speaking countries and 
the other for French-speaking countries.   
30. Table 7 summarizes training provided to the North-South Corridor countries.  The figures 
under each subject for a country represent the number of times the country has benefited from this 
subject in the period since 2007. 
Table 7: Institute for Training and Technica l Co-operation training to the North-South 
Corridor (2007 to present) 
 
 Botswana DR of Congo Malawi Mozambique South Africa Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe 
Geneva-based 
Trade Policy 
Courses 3 3 1 1   1 2 3 
Regional Trade 
Policy Courses 3 2 1 1 3 1 3 3 
Intensive Course 
on Trade Negotiations 
Skills 3 1 1 2 3 2 2 2 
Short Trade 
Policy Courses 2 5 4 3 3 3 4 4 
TPR 2     2 2   2   
Agriculture  1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 
Services 1 1   1 1   1   
Government 
Procurement 1   1 1 1 1 1 1 
NAMA 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 
Regional Trade 
Agreements 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
                                                      
11 IF Executive Secretariat . 
12 For more information see http://www.wto.org/english/trat op_e/devel_e/teccop_e/ittc_e.htm . WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
Page 14  
 
   
 Botswana DR of Congo Malawi Mozambique South Africa Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe 
SPS     2 1 1 1 2 1 
TBT 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 
Trade and 
Development 1 1 2 3 2 1 2 2 
Trade 
Facilitation 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 
TRIPS 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 
Rules of Origin 1               
Dispute 
Settlement 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 
Outreach 
Activities 
(Parliamentarian, 
Civil Society...) 1   1   1 1 1   
WTO 
Programmes 
(NTP, missions) 1 1         1   
JITAP 1   2 2   2 2   
Introduction 
Course for LDCs   2 2 1   2     
Training for 
Government Officials   1             
Rules/Trade remedies         2   2   
Trade and 
Environment 1   1 1 1 1   1 
DDA 
Negotiations           1     
WTO tariff and 
Trade data 
analysis             1   
 
B. TRADE FACILITATION  
31. The WTO Secretariat, in cooperation with partne r organizations and national governments, is 
providing technical assistance to help WTO Member and Observer countries to conduct a self assessment of needs and priorities in  the trade facilitation negotiations.
13  The aim of this programme 
is to assist developing and least- developed countri es to negotiate more effectively through enhanced 
understanding of the technical assistance and capacity building needs for implementation of the 
proposed measures. 
32. This technical assistance is funded through a sp ecial trust fund and is provided upon request.  
With the exception of South Africa, the countries in the North-South Corridor have conducted, or are currently scheduled to conduct, a needs assessment.  The status of each country is shown in Table 8, 
below. 
                                                     
 
13 For more information see: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e /tradfa_e/tf_assess_factsheet_e.htm .  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
 Page 15 
 
 
  Table 8:  Status of trade facilitation ev aluations of North-South Corridor Countries 
 
Botswana To be completed in 2009 
Democratic Republic 
of the Congo 14-18 April 2008 
Malawi 17-21 November  2008 
Mozambique 6-10 October  2008 
South Africa No request has been  made for technical assistance 
Tanzania 29 October– 2 November  2007 
Zambia 25 February - 2 March 2007 – Pilot project for the 
Needs Assessment Programme 
Zimbabwe To be completed in 2009 
 
C. STANDARDS AND TRADE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY  
33. The Standards and Trade Development Facility ( STDF) is a global programme of the United 
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), th e World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), 
the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), 
to assist developing countries, and in particular LD Cs, in enhancing their expertise and capacity to 
analyze and implement international SPS standards.14 
34. As part of its coordination role, the STDF or ganized a workshop on the supply of and demand 
for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) assistance in Ke nya, Tanzania and Uganda on the margins of the 
Regional Review of Aid for Trade held in Dar-e s-Salaam in September 2007.  This workshop was 
followed by a targeted event in May 2008 in Kamp ala which was successful in  raising the awareness 
of SPS as a supply-side constraint, in identifying SP S priority needs at nati onal and regional levels, 
and in further mobilizing resources to address tho se needs.  Complementin g this work, the STDF 
presented an overview paper on SPS needs and assist ance in eight LDCs, including Mozambique, at 
the LDC Ministerial Conference on Aid for Trade in  November 2008, jointly organized by the WTO, 
the United Nations Industrial Development Organizat ion (UNIDO) and the Government of Cambodia. 
35. In 2006-07, the STDF assisted Malawi and Zambia in developing projects to address post-
harvest contamination problems in their paprika and groundnut sectors – based on the findings of their 
Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS) (EIF).  Both projects are currently being implemented by 
UNIDO with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development cooperation (NORAD).  The 
STDF also funds the establishment of a regional Cent re of Phytosanitary Excellence in Nairobi to 
improve pest risk analysis and for training purpo ses.  In Tanzania, the STDF supports the creation of 
the Horticulture Development Council and recen tly approved funding to st rengthen the institutional 
and legal SPS framework, includi ng improved coordination among th e key actors involved in food 
safety, animal and plant health.  Finally, in Mo zambique, FAO will soon start the implementation of 
an STDF-funded project aimed at establishing pest-free areas for Leth al Yellowing Disease in 
coconuts.   
VI. CONCLUSIONS 
36. This paper provides a background briefing on Aid for Trade for participants at the 
North-South Corridor Conference and sub-regional revi ew of Aid for Trade.  It focuses on the eight 
countries which constitute the North-South Corridor.   
37. Total Aid for Trade provided to the North-South Corridor countries grew from an average of 
1125.1 million between 2002-2005, to US$1,281.3 m illion in 2007 – an increase of US$156.2 million, 
                                                      
14 For more information see:  www.standardsfacility.org . WT/COMTD/AFT/W/12 
Page 16  
 
  or 13.9 per cent.  Within the overall Aid-for-Trade  envelope, assistance for economic infrastructure 
rose from an average of US$495.4 million in 2002- 3005, to US$829 million in 2007 – an increase of 
67.5 per cent.  However, the combined figures for all eight North-South Corridor countries mask stark differences between the total Aid for Trade that individual countries have received, ranging from 
US$8.5 million (in commitments) for Botswana, to  US$398.1 million (in commitments) for Tanzania 
in 2007.  
38. Progress in securing additional financing to im prove trade performance is overshadowed by 
the worsening global economic outlook.  A shortfall in financial flows to developing countries cannot 
be discounted and the demand for the commodities on wh ich much of their recent growth was based is 
projected to decline.  Combined with a dependenc y on tariff revenues, these developments will render 
budgets vulnerable to potential reductions in trade flow s.  In this less hospitable environment, aid for 
trade is even more critical to stimulate the supply- side response of low-income countries and assist the 
region diversify its export product and service base.  
39. The replies of the four North-South Corridor countries which responded to the joint 
WTO/OECD partner-country self-assessment ques tionnaire (Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania and 
Zambia) are instructive in establishing priority areas for future Aid-for-Trade assistance, as well as for 
monitoring the initiative at the country and regional  level and identifying good practice in Aid for 
Trade.   
40. The High Level meeting in Lusaka on 5-6 April 2009 should give a strong impetus to move 
from commitment to action on the North-South Corridor.  Moving from commitment to action is a key objective for the Aid for Trade initiative in 2009.  Conclusions arising from the North South 
Corridor Aid for Trade meeting will feature prominently at the Second Global Review of Aid for 
Trade to be held on 6-7 July 2009.   
 
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